Forging Bridges
by einstein205
Summary: Harry is suffering from the losses in his life, but with all the chaos in his life, what will happen when some feelings develop about his best friend?
1. Forging Bridges

A/N: Hi readers, I was inspired to write this story during work. I know I've written a lot of unfinished stories in the past and for all my loyal fans, thanks. Please read and review, I need all of the inspiration and motivation I can get.

Harry trudged off the Hogwarts express without saying a word to any of his classmates. After the funeral of his headmaster, he stopped speaking to other people. He had jogged up to the dormitory and packed his things magically without paying any attention to the order they had been packed in. He lifted his trunk off of the ground (with magic) and sent it careening through the common room. People who wanted to get ready early dodged out of the way of his trunk because Harry was not focused on the direction of his trunk. He passed through the portrait hole and walked down the stairs. He saw many of his friends including Ron, Hermione, and, most painfully, Ginny. She didn't look at him, but looked down at her feet. He hopped into the first thestral-pulled carriage and it went to the gate with him alone in the carriage He got to the gate of Hogwarts to find it unlocked from the visitors leaving Dumbledore's funeral. He kept his trunk floating along behind him until he got to the train platform. He walked to the back of the train and whipped his trunk into the luggage rack. He drew the shades down and locked the door.

He heard people slowly board the train and willed them to hurry up. He had never wanted to get away from Hogwarts in his life. No one tried to enter his compartment, either because they didn't want to bother him or they didn't know he was back there. After what seemed an eternity, he heard the engines roar to life, and the train begin to chug forward. He lay down across the seats and started to think. He could not and did not want to believe that his beloved headmaster was gone, dead. He wanted to run up to the white tomb to check if the corpse there was really Dumbledore's, not some imposter. He ran through scenarios of how his headmaster could have survived. Each idea was more ludicrous than the next and he had to make himself stop thinking about it because in his heart of hearts he knew his headmaster was dead. Dumbledore would not lead the world along for so long with a cruel hoax.

He looked out the window and saw mountains, signaling that they were getting farther away from Hogwarts and closer to King's Cross Station. His mind switched gears and he thought about his most hated rival, Voldemort. Every pain in his life was Voldemort's fault. His life had been different from everyone else's. His parents were dead. His godfather was dead. His headmaster was dead. His second family, the Weasleys, was suffering. Hagrid was on the run. His girlfriend Ginny was not able to be with him. His two best friends were alienated from him. He rose from the seats and glared out at the window. His vision was blurry and he shook with anger. The color of the speeding landscape was dulled and muted. He felt a burning in his hand and saw that red sparks darting from his fingertips. They danced around his wrists and palms, and then fizzled out. He closed his eyes, but still saw red in his mind.

All of the sparks died away, but then Harry got a piercing headache. His scar burned worse than he had ever felt before. He rolled and writhed on the ground, clasping his forehead. He bit his lip to quell the screams. He groped for his wand, the door, anything to help him. He didn't care if anyone saw him this way; he just wanted to relieve the pain. Harry then felt his mouth open up. He heard these words spoken, but knew he did not intend to say them: "Harry, Harry, Harry. Anger can be dangerous when not handled correctly. You have just forged a bridge that cannot be destroyed…" Harry fell into unconsciousness.

Harry's eyes groggily opened. He rubbed his head; his body felt like he had been plowed over by a bus. The taste of blood tainted his mouth and lips. Blood sat on his lips and around his nose. He cleaned himself up with his wand. He pushed himself back up onto the seat. The landscape outside had changed to familiar scene around King's Cross Station. The train started to slow down and Harry took his trunk down from the rack. He changed from his school robes to his muggle clothes. Hedwig squawked impatiently and Harry calmed her with a treat from his box. The train finally stopped at Platform 9 and ¾. Harry dashed down the train without looking up at anyone. His trunk followed closely behind his with Hedwig's cage on top of it.

He heard someone running up behind him, but didn't look to see who it was. His ears drummed with the sound of his own heartbeat. Suddenly, he heard his pursuer's heavy breathing close. "Harry!" a familiar voice shouted from behind.

He whipped around and saw his friend, Hermione. His fiery retorts and insults died in his throat; he could not mouth off at Hermione. She slowly approached him, stepping over the trunk. She stared into his eyes, green eyes burning into chocolate brown ones, and vice versa. Then, she wrapped her arms around him. She leaned up and whispered into his ear, "It's not your fault Harry; he would want you to move on." She sank down from her tip toes and grabbed his hand. She squeezed his hand once, looked back into his eyes, and turned to go get her stuff. Harry lifted his things again and that it where this chapter began.

A/N: Click that little purple button and review. You know you want to. More reviews equals faster stories.


	2. Tears and Letters

A/N: Ok people, I only got 2 reviews; I hope I have more readers than that, so when you're done reading, please review. It's not hard, I swear.

Harry glared around King's Cross station looking for the Dursleys. He spotted them waiting by the car in the parking lot. Of course, they had parked as far away from the station as possible. Before Harry could reach the parking lot, a half-dozen members of the Order intercepted him. Moody, Tonks, Charlie, Molly, Fred, and McGonagal blocked his path. Harry raised an eyebrow at the sight of McGonagal. Molly pulled him into a rib-cracking hug, and Fred patted him on the shoulder. An awkward silence fell over the group, until Moody spoke up. "Now Potter, you watch yourself, you'll be at your aunt and uncle's for less than two weeks. Make sure you're ready; our window of opportunity is finite. Be careful," he ended gruffly.

"Yes, Potter. I'll be by soon. You will receive all the details by owl," MsGonagal stated calmly. He looked at her for the first time since that night on the tower. She looked as if she had aged five years in one day. Her eyes were red and swollen, her clothes were dirty and frayed, and her usually tight hair bun was frizzy and unkempt. The other Order members spoke their good-byes, and Harry darted off before his classmates could find him. He climbed into the Dursley's new SUV without a word. He noticed Dudley has gained more weight, and glared in disdain.

They arrived on Privet Drive in less than an hour. Vernon had sped down the highway and given more than a few drivers the universal sign. Harry pulled his trunk and Hedwig's cage out of the back of the car without any help from the Dursley's. The Dursley's were congregating at the dining room table, and Dudley was tuning the television to his favorite channel.

Harry slung his possessions into his room, and roughly placed Hedwig's cage on the dresser. Hedwig squawked in protest and nipped Harry's finger. He swore loudly and wrapped it tightly in a dirty sock. He sat down on the floor and drew out the calendar until Bill and Fleur's wedding, when he would be free from the Dursley's forever. His bed had no sheets on it, and everything was covered in a layer of dust.

Without dusting anything off, or going to get sheets from the linen closet, he flopped on top of the bed. He tried to fall asleep, but thoughts berated his mind. The thought that kept coming back into his mind was his encounter without Hermione on the train. He pored over the event over and over again. Slowly, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he drifted into sleep.

**That Same Night**

**Hogwarts**

Minerva McGonagal was sitting at her desk in her office, preparing for the meeting of the governors of Hogwarts. Her quill suddenly snapped and she threw it into the waste bin in frustration. She pulled a drawer open to find a new quill. She reached into the drawer, but found an envelope instead of a new quill. In spidery, flowery writing on the front of the envelope was "Minerva." McGonagal pointed her wand at the envelope and whispered "Aperio aliquis maligro." A pinprick of light shot from her wand and danced across the envelope. It rose in front of McGonagal's eyes and glowed white. McGonagal set down her wand and peel opened the envelope. She drew the letter and read the letter:

Dearest Minerva,

If you have received this letter, then death has finally found me. Hopefully, I have not left you in too dire straights. If I have, I apologize with all of my heart. I wish you the best of luck as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts. I hope if you have any questions, you will consult the portrait of me in my former office.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

McGongal let the letter fall to the floor as she wept. Dumbledore had been the one member of the staff who she was closest to. Suddenly, she felt cold and alone. Part of her wanted to go up to her new office and ask Dumbledore the questions that burned inside her mind. However, she could not make herself move; she did not feel as if the office truly belonged to her. She transfigured her broken quill into a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. Her face was red and hot, and her eyes were swollen. She would have to leave the work for the governors until tomorrow. Mcgonagal conjured the door to her office sleeping quarters, and tried to fall asleep. After almost an hour and half, sleep found her weary and covered in tears.


End file.
